by Rick Barrett | Mar 21, 2026 | Taiji
Many Tai Chi teachers advise their students to not lift weights…and with good reason. The rationale is that weight training builds muscle and may encourage a dependency on muscular responses rather than internal power. While I respect this thinking, particularly for those just beginning their Tai Chi explorations, there comes a time when judicious use of resistance training is not just helpful, but necessary, to grasp the nuances of the internal arts.
by Rick Barrett | Jun 25, 2020 | Taiji
I came across this article buried deep in my blog archives and was excited to visit an old friend. It originally appeared in Tai Chi Magazine in Summer 2001. I don’t have the photos that appeared in the magazine, but I think the text will be sufficient for...
by Rick Barrett | Nov 2, 2019 | Jade Pillow Gate, Taiji
“When practicing the form, one should cause the yu-chen point at the base of the skull to stand out, then the spirit and ch’i will effortlessly meet at the top of the head.” Cheng Man-ch’ing, in Master Cheng’s Thirteen Chapters on...
by Rick Barrett | May 20, 2019 | Consciousness, Integration, Taiji
Marilyn from Albuquerque is reading Taijiquan: Through the Western Gate and sent me an email. “I am, of course, going around madly pointing things! If I really point my tailbone down and my crown up, I actually FEEL my centre of gravity kind of float into my lower tan...
by Rick Barrett | May 2, 2018 | Knee, Taiji
I hate to be a pest, but… I want to be really really clear about what I mean by the “ball of the foot.” So, even if you are certain that you know what I mean, please read this carefully. At the very least, it may help you explain it to someone else....
